Encounters Asia

Story

Encounters Asia is a family-owned destination specialist with more than 30 years of experience designing experiential and transformational journeys across India and South Asia. Every itinerary is exclusively customized to match your interests, combining hand-picked accommodations, seamless logistics, exceptional guides, and deep destination expertise. Every journey is measured by the inspiring experiences it creates, from vibrant festivals and curated events to bespoke camping, experiential expeditions, and private transformational adventures.

When you share your favorite travel experiences and interests, Encounters Asia creates a personalized itinerary that reflects your travel style and delivers unforgettable moments. Wildlife experiences take you into the natural habitats of tigers, snow leopards, and other iconic species through expertly crafted journeys rooted in generations of conservation knowledge. The Sankhala family's three-generation commitment to wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism ensures access to outstanding guides, naturalists, and trackers who bring India's wilderness to life.

Led by Amit Sankhala, whose family legacy is closely connected to India's wildlife conservation movement, Encounters Asia combines decades of firsthand travel experience with creative storytelling to reveal authentic cultural, spiritual, and wildlife encounters. Every experience, from walking through Rajasthan's historic cities and exploring Varanasi at midnight to immersive festival celebrations and remote wilderness camps, is thoughtfully designed to reveal a side of India that few travelers experience. Every Encounters Asia itinerary inspires meaningful connections with people, culture, nature, and spirituality, leaving you transformed by the journey.

Mission

Encounters Asia designs exclusive, customized itineraries that combine authentic experiences, exceptional service, expert guides, seamless logistics, and carefully selected accommodations to create inspiring and transformational journeys throughout India and South Asia.

Vision

Encounters Asia aims to reveal the authentic spirit of India and South Asia through personalized, experiential travel that inspires meaningful connections with culture, wildlife, nature, and local communities, ensuring every journey transforms the way you experience the world.

Sustainability and responsible tourism remain at the heart of every journey with Encounters Asia. You travel with a company that places environmental protection at the center of its operations, building on generations of experience in the wild and a pioneering legacy of eco-friendly tourism in India. Sustainability is more than a label—it is a way of life and a way of doing business that stays in harmony with the environment. Every experience is designed to give back to local communities as much as it enriches your journey.

Encounters Asia extends its commitment beyond travel by supporting organizations that create a better world. Since its inception, the company has supported Tomorrow’s Air to remove carbon from the atmosphere, contributed funding, and nominated projects through the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund. Managing Director Amit Sankhala serves on the board of Wild Landscapes, which advocates for wildlife and habitat protection around the world, while also continuing his family's conservation legacy through active involvement with Tiger Trust. Contributions to the Snow Leopard Conservancy have helped generate more than USD 50,000 in funding to protect snow leopards and their habitats. Encounters Asia also supports community and wildlife initiatives through organizations such as The Last Wilderness Foundation and 17000 Ft.

Encounters Asia continues to raise awareness for wildlife conservation through meaningful storytelling. Working alongside the director of the award-winning wildlife documentary Tiger Land, the company highlights a conservation legacy while showcasing ongoing efforts to protect tigers in India and Russia.

Sustainability extends beyond protecting nature. Encounters Asia continually identifies opportunities for community development projects that strengthen villages and rural communities while creating lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. The company partners with experience providers and hospitality businesses that share the same commitment to responsible tourism.

Tourism becomes a force for positive change by supporting tribal communities in remote regions of Gujarat, funding conservation education projects focused on snow leopards, and contributing to cultural heritage restoration. Encounters Asia promotes environmentally friendly activities such as nature walks, hiking, biking, and camping that support local regions while allowing you to experience India's remarkable landscapes responsibly. Carefully curated experiences, including village-to-village walks in Kumaon, cycling through rural Rajasthan, and bespoke camping in Central India, minimize ecological impact. Waste and plastic remain limited, while you are encouraged to reuse and recycle whenever possible.

Encounters Asia also celebrates and preserves India's cultural heritage by building long-term relationships with organizers of unique festivals and cultural events. Support for tribal festivals in Nagaland, music festivals in Rajasthan, and other traditional celebrations helps preserve India's rich intangible heritage. Close partnerships with local families and ethnic communities create authentic culinary experiences rooted in tradition, from Syrian-Christian cuisine in Cochin to Bengali cooking lessons in Kolkata.

Whenever possible, Encounters Asia hires local people and sources supplies from the destinations where it operates. The company shares sustainable tourism best practices with local partners and works closely with local authorities, forest management officials, and non-governmental organizations to establish sustainable tourism models that benefit communities, visitors, and the environment.